Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

In the latest chapter in the ongoing flirtations between Texas A&M and the SEC, Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe (pictured at right) has responded to Texas A&M's Thursday announcement that the Aggies were exploring a switch in conferences.

The letter received today from Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin will be addressed by the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors. It remains our strong desire for Texas A&M to continue as a member of the Big 12 and we are working toward that end. However, if it is decided otherwise, the Conference is poised to move aggressively with options.

Beebe should be careful here, as the only high-level unaffiliated football programs out there are Notre Dame and BYU (no offense, Army or Navy), and saying the conference is "poised to move aggressively" implies that there's a willing candidate already in Beebe's mind. Yes, that almost certainly could mean SMU, who's practically begging for a BCS invite, but if the Big 12 adds Houston (as has allegedly been mentioned by the conference as a possibility before), the Conference USA brass might have the grounds to suggest that the Big 12 was admitting to interfering with Conference USA business, and that could mean the threat of legal action.

That said, it could also mean something much less litigious, like adding BYU and/or Notre Dame in football only, and either gently phasing in the other sports (as both schools have full pre-existing conference affiliations outside of football) or leaving it a football-only arrangement entirely.

Not only that, there are probably plenty of expansion candidates off the metaphorical radar with which the Big 12 has had some sort of contact, and maybe Beebe has the sense that they're privately amenable to a conference change. Again, we're talking about off the radar, so it would be reckless to speculate (see: flat-out guess) on possible schools, but Beebe would be derelict in his duty as a conference commissioner if he didn't have a contingency plan for any type of expansion -- especially one based on how willing the other schools would be to move to the Big 12.

We'll say this, though: Texas A&M is still not even an applicant (much less a member or invitee) of the SEC yet. That's likely to change, but it hasn't yet. So if Dan Beebe can wrangle four of his conference members away from a potential Pac-16 in 2010, then somehow brink Texas A&M back from the bring of "SECession," he's got to be the biggest miracle worker among conference commissioners. Alas for Beebe, miracles are miracles for a reason, and this one's probably not going to happen.

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

Looks like we were right about the inevitable collapse of the Big12. Where are all those who said I was crazy for claiming OU was ready to follow A&M out the door? Yes it might be pre-emptive, but the writing is on the wall...

Since: Jun 28, 2007

Posted on: August 31, 2011 9:55 pm

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

I would agree that ISU is a long shot. But I wouldn't say they are completely closed out. They don't have a powerhouse football program like Nebraska brought to the table. The top tier in my opinion is NE, OSU, Mich, PSU with WI and IA in the backseat. MSU and NW have done a nice job being competitive. If you look at ISU I would say they are better than MN, IN, IL, Purdue. Do the other schools really want to add more football powers to make their road to the BCS tougher? KU has huge basketball tradition but they bring nothing for football. Mizzou has competitive fb and bb these days so I would think they would be the first choice. Something else to consider about ISU is they are an AAU school which is a big deal to the Big 10 presidents. They also are very competitive is most of the minor sports not that that matters much in the BCS FB world these days. If they had the revenue sharing model the Big 10 has it would make a difference to schools like ISU, Mizzou and KU.

My 2 cents...thanks for the comments.

Since: Oct 16, 2006

Posted on: August 29, 2011 12:38 am

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

coldcalls...Very good analysis...except for the Iowa State thing. No chance in Hades they get the invite. Note even sure about Mizzou and they bring a ton more to the table than the Cyclones.

Since: Sep 6, 2006

Posted on: August 28, 2011 9:28 pm

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

lee3022 you really should research a school closer before making accusations such as those you levied against A&M. Aggie football is beloved without doubt but it's far from being the main focal point of the campus such as it is at Texas. I'd also challenge you to show me where all those millions have been spent on the athletic programs here and not academics. You are correct in that there are enormous amounts of renovations going on at A&M but none of them on athetics.

Since: Dec 5, 2006

Posted on: August 28, 2011 7:49 pm

Professional Sports - Texas A&M statement

Professional sports have come of age. Century old rivalries? Gone. Traditional opponents? Gone. Amateur athletics? Gone. Colleges take in more money from athletics than any other source. But the money does not go for academics. It goes to build new locker rooms and practice facilities and expand stadiums. It pays coaches millions of dollars per year while Presidents get peanuts. It pays more for athletic trainers than full professors.

And the reason is broadcast money. It now controls the rivalries and traditions. It now dictates who plays who and when. What, twenty million is not enough A&M? Your envy of the Longhorns causes even the deal you approved last year to be reneged so soon? The Texas vs. Texas A&M game is no longer enough for you (how many times have you spoiled the Longhorn's potential championship season?) The Big XII does appear to be owned by Texas. The league schedules games to benefit the Longhorns against all opponents. The league panders to Texas' every whim. That is no knock on Texas. We would all do the same if we could. Just don't use that "A" word anymore. Because greed has corrupted it beyond all recognition. Professional sports on your campus today. Maybe, even the presidents will be allowed to keep their titles and jobs - so long as they don't get in the way.

Since: Jun 28, 2007

Posted on: August 28, 2011 5:45 pm

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

If you don't think the AD's at all the Big 12 schools don't escape plans in the works think again. Guys like Jamie Pollard are too smart not to be talking on the side to his Big 10 buddies, especially his old boss at Wisconsin. Don't write off ISU and KU that they will get left holding the bag. You can bet OU and OSU have chatted with the SEC/Pac12 informally.

If A&M moves to the SEC, which I believe they will, then the SEC will want to go to 14-16 schools. OU-Okie St are joined at the hip so they come as a package. If the SEC takes A&M, OU and OSU then I see them making a play for Florida St. or Clemson to make it 16 school.

SEC goes to 16, the Big 10 has to respond. Crazy as it sounds, the Big 10 ads Iowa State, Missouri, Kansas and Pitt. Consider this, all four schools are AAU members and the Big 10 puts a lot into this. Nebraska was an AAU member when they made the move to the Big 10. They lost the membership just before the move was official. ISU-Mizzou-KU are natural fits for rivals NE-IA-MN-WI-IL. Pitt give some balance to PSU on the east. ND is never giving up the money. Syracuse is not an AAU member. Rutgers is an AAU member so that is an alternative to Pitt.

That leaves Baylor, TX Tech, K-State (who is not tied to KU like OU-OSU) to go to the Mountain West. MW also tries to grab Houston, SMU, Rice to try for super conference status.

Texas goes independent with ND and BYU.

Big East and ACC will need to consider their options. Both could loose a university so the remaining 18 teams (w football) would need to decide if a merger was possible? Does TCU still move or fall back to the Mt. West with the other Texas schools?

Pac 12 says what just happened? And asks can we get TX and BYU to save face????

The Era of the Super Conferences begins......

Since: Jan 24, 2008

Posted on: August 28, 2011 4:49 am

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

MEMO to Jamie Pollard at Iowa State:The Longhorns are THE party causing all of the dissension in the ranks of your conference! If Texas is so great, then WHY is it that they think they need a bigger take than everyone ELSE in the conference? If they ARE so much BETTER, they actually should be able to do with LESS! BULLY Beebe chased away Nebraska and Colorado, and NOW is chasing away A&M...it's only a matter of time before the conference blows up, so WHY NOT take the leadership role, recruiting everyone BUT Texas to form your OWN NEW conference...WITHOUT trouble-making UT! You could do it, you know, and from THAT perspective it is the chance of a lifetime...to SHAPE a better future (devoid of bullies)!

Since: Jan 16, 2007

Posted on: August 27, 2011 7:25 pm

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

Thats ok Aggies will always have 2002......you know when the #1 ranked sooners trip to the National championship game got roadblocked in College Station by an unranked A&M team. That 77 - 0 was Bob "Class act" Stoops running up the score for the Ags beating the sooners the year before.

Since: Aug 25, 2011

Posted on: August 27, 2011 6:29 pm

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

Since 92 only 2 10 win years....not so much razorslack

Since: May 11, 2007

Posted on: August 27, 2011 5:15 pm

Dan Beebe responds to Texas A&M statement

How many years did the Big 6, then Big 8 survive? Then they added the steers(castrated bulls) of Texas in the league, and it falls apart.